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About Paul Knight

NBN Episodes hosted by Paul:

Popular Culture June 23, 2017

Rise of the Dungeon Master

Gary Gygax and the Creation of D and D

David Kushner

Hosted by Paul Knight
Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D and D (Nation Books, 2017) by David Kushner and illustrated by Koren Shadmi is a gorgeous depiction of …
Popular Culture June 19, 2017

Empire of Imagination

Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons and Dragons

Michael Witwer

Hosted by Paul Knight
Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons and Dragons (Bloomsbury, 2015) by Michael Witwer is an exceptional biography of the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, E. Gary …
Arts & Letters May 26, 2017

Of Dice and Men

The Story of Dungeons and Dragons and The People Who Play It

David M. Ewalt

Hosted by Paul Knight
David M. Ewalt's book Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons and Dragons and The People Who Play It (Scribner, 2013) is at once a love letter, cultural history …
National Security April 17, 2017

Western Foreign Fighters

The Threat to Homeland and International Security

Phil Gurski

Hosted by Paul Knight
Phil Gurski's Western Foreign Fighters: The Threat to Homeland and International Security (Rowman and Littlefield, 2016) is his second recent monograph on terrorism, and another useful resource for practitioners and …
National Security December 17, 2015

Interrogation, Intelligence and Security

Controversial British Techniques

Samantha Newbery

Hosted by Paul Knight
Interrogation, Intelligence and Security: Controversial British Techniques (Manchester University Press, 2015) by Samantha Newbery examines issues of history, efficacy, and policy in her thorough examination of British authorities' use of …
National Security November 15, 2015

The Billion Dollar Spy

A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal

David E. Hoffman

Hosted by Paul Knight
David E. Hoffman's The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal (Doubleday, 2015) was first brought to my attention in a superb interview conducted with …
National Security March 5, 2015

An Enemy We Created

The Myth of the Taliban/Al Qaeda Merger in Afghanistan, 1970-2010

Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn

Hosted by Paul Knight
Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn's An Enemy We Created: The Myth of the Taliban/Al Qaeda Merger in Afghanistan, 1970-2010 (Oxford University Press, reprint edition 2014) offers what is …
National Security February 12, 2015

Among the Ruins

Syria Past and Present

Christian C. Sahner

Hosted by Paul Knight
Christian C. Sahner's Among the Ruins: Syria Past and Present (Oxford University Press, 2014) resists easy categorization into genre: it as at once a travel log, an impassioned lecture on …
National Security December 4, 2014

Neurotechnology in National Security and Defense

Practical Considerations, Neuroethical Concerns

James Giordano

Hosted by Paul Knight
Neurotechnology in National Security and Defense: Practical Considerations, Neuroethical Concerns (CRC Press, 2014), edited by Dr. James Giordano, is an impressive collection of essays by authors at the cutting edge …
National Security November 27, 2014

The Terrorist's Dilemma

Managing Violent Covert Organizations

Jacob N. Shapiro

Hosted by Paul Knight
Jacob N. Shapiro's The Terrorist's Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations (Princeton University Press, 2013) is a welcome addition to a field that sometimes depicts terrorist activity as an unfamiliar, idiosyncratic …
National Security November 14, 2014

Fountainhead of Jihad

The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012

Vahid Brown and Don Rassler

Hosted by Paul Knight
Vahid Brown and Don Rassler's Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012 (Oxford University Press, 2013) is a meticulously researched and remarkably detailed exposition of the Haqqani network's growth and …
National Security October 3, 2014

The Al-Qaeda Doctrine

The Framing and Evolution of the Leadership's Public Discourse

Donald Holbrook

Hosted by Paul Knight
Donald Holbrook'sThe Al-Qaeda Doctrine: The Framing and Evolution of the Leadership's Public Discourse (Bloomsbury, 2014)represents a significant scholarly contribution to the study of Al-Qaeda and Islamic terrorism more broadly. Through …